Things to do in Metro Detroit: Feb. 21-23
From adults-only fare like club dancing and the Dirty Show to Mahjong and TMNT, there's lots to do on this cold, cold weekend.
🦸 Browse comics and see the co-creator of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" at Great Lakes Comic Con.
Tomorrow, 5-9pm; Saturday, 10am-6pm; Sunday, 10am-4pm. $55 for three days, $20 Friday or Sunday and $25 Saturday.
🎨 Go check out [censored] and [censored] at the adults-only Dirty Show, known for its burlesque, art and more.
Friday and Saturday at the Russell Industrial Center, 7pm-2am. General admission is $50.
🎛️ Dance the night away to '90s and 2000s jams at Orchid in Ferndale.
Saturday, 9pm-2am. Free entry before 11pm, $10 general admission after that.
🀄 Play Mahjong at the historic Fisher Building, with refreshments and prizes.
Sunday, 10am-5pm. $15.
🕺 Miss Eva's is hosting an R&B birthday bash, with old and new hits.
Friday, 8pm-midnight. $30.
🎸 Alternative rock is the name of the game at Big Pink this weekend, with a DJ spinning tracks from the Strokes, LCD Soundsystem and more.
Saturday, 10pm-2am. $20.
🎭 Take in " Confederates," which digs into America's racism and gender biases, at the Detroit Public Theatre.
Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm; and more shows through March 16. General admission, $49.
🎤 Come to One Mike Detroit for a pop-up night of poetry, music and comedy.
Saturday, 7-11pm. $15.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Verge
2 days ago
- The Verge
TMNT: Tactical Takedown is a radical twist on turn-based strategy
I usually struggle with strategy games. They're typically too hard for me, and I often get overwhelmed at managing multiple characters or squads. But I couldn't put down Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown, which blends ideas from strategy games and classic TMNT arcade games to keep things snappy, easy to play, and full of action. One way Tactical Takedown — developed by I Am Your Beast maker Strange Scaffold — keeps things simple is by having you play as just one character in each of the game's 20 levels. The four turtles have different movesets; Leonardo, for example, uses his swords to aggressively attack enemies, while Michelangelo can zip around the playing field on his skateboard. You're able to customize each turtle's arsenal by buying new moves, but I didn't change the movesets at all and got through the game just fine. Battles take place in a grid overlaid on small chunks of very TMNT locations, like a street, sewer, or subway system. Every turn, you have six 'action points' to spend as you please, whether that's moving around the level or attacking bad guys. You just press a button to use one of your moves, no menu required, which speeds things up considerably. You have six hearts and three 'lives' — lose a life and the game will quickly flash a 'Continue' sign before letting you choose where you'd like to drop in the level to keep the fight going. (You also lose a score multiplier.) The levels feel like tiny dioramas, and while characters will move into a kick or a punch when attacking or a fall when taking damage, they aren't actively animated moment to moment. It all creates the sense that you're playing with action figures. Perhaps Tactical Takedown 's best trick is that the levels are constantly shifting around you. Every once in a while, the game will show you that a new piece of land is going to drop in on the next turn, and after that spot is in place, you'll get a warning that another part of the level is going to fall away. It means that you're constantly dealing with new terrain, layouts, and hazards like poisonous sewage or cars driving by while also strategizing on how to fight bad guys. Sometimes, after adding a new chunk of a level, the game even flashes the word 'Go,' encouraging you to move forward like you would in an arcade game. Even better, if there isn't a wall, you can send enemies flying off the edge of a level into the void, defeating them instantly. It took me a bit to understand that the game wants you to do that as much as possible; occasionally, there will be a lot of bad guys in a level, and the only way to efficiently take them out is by sending them to their doom. For me, it all came together in a level where you play as Leonardo in a subway tunnel. The level started on a subway platform, and then the game signaled that a subway car would appear. I navigated my way onto the subway car, and the platform fell away. After a few turns on the subway car, it 'arrived' at the next subway stop, and I had to hop off. It really felt like I was 'advancing' through a level in a faster-paced game, and all while managing a legion of enemies with Leonardo's swords. The genre is usually slow, but when you get in a good rhythm, Tactical Takedown almost feels as crisp as the TMNT arcade games — despite being a turn-based strategy game.
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Newsweek
Exclusive: TMNT Co-Creator Kevin Eastman Reflects on 40 Years of Turtle Power
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Back before the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became a household name, it started off as a dark and gritty comic for Mirage from co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. More news: Exclusive: 'TMNT' Spinoff Series 'Casey Jones' Set for Release This Fall Eastman has been a beloved comic creator for decades on end, and he sat down with Newsweek to discuss the creation, history, and longevity of the turtles — and he divulged some new updates on the current massive hit, "The Last Ronin." Initially, Eastman and Laird were messing around with one another regarding the creation of the animal equivalent of Bruce Lee, a world-renowned martial artist. Lee, known for his speed and skills in martial arts, was transformed into a ninja turtle. "And so I thought to myself, if Bruce Lee was an animal, what would be the stupidest animal, mammal, creature, reptile, and so fast-moving martial artist, slow-moving turtle. It just made me laugh out loud." Though the idea of a turtle being a martial artist began with a laugh, Eastman and Laird would lean on their comic fandom to turn the one turtle into four. "And then we said, well, if one, why not a group of them, maybe four? Like the Fantastic Four or X Men kind of thing. So I penciled a sketch all four turtles, each with different weapons, and I put this comic bookie Ninja Turtles logo above them, and when Pete did the inking on it, he added a Teenage Mutant to the title. And we just laughed out loud, and it was something we said, 'enough rejection letters.' "Besides, we really love this idea. We're going to keep this one for ourselves, and let's just come up with a story that tells how the turtles got to be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And that was in 1984, and the first issue came out in May of 1984." A cover of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. A cover of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. IDW The comic was meant to be a one-shot, or singular issue, but the impact of the first issue was undeniable. Eastman borrowed money from his uncle to fund the first issue, and a 3,000-copy run would soon sell out. "We borrowed money from my uncle Quentin. We put together a little business proposal. It was around $1,200 if I recall. All correctly, and that was enough to print 3,000 copies. We thought that we would have most of those 3000 copies for many years to come. It was a one-shot. So, you know, again, we did it, the creation of it and the writing of it was written for ourselves, because we really didn't think it would sell that well. But it sold out pretty quickly, and to our surprise and my uncle ... he was actually going to get paid back." The popularity of the comic would turn into a 6,000-copy run, and eventually, the comic world was begging for the second issue. Eastman and Laird would continue their original run, but the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would turn into a global sensation shortly thereafter. Though the turtles would come out as a comic that showcased a far darker outlook, Eastman and Lair licensed out the turtles to Playmate Toys, leading to the original cartoon series being released in 1987, a series of video games, and the ever-popular original live-action films. Headshot of Kevin Eastman with the cover for the 1990s TMNT movie. Headshot of Kevin Eastman with the cover for the 1990s TMNT movie. IDW Despite the fact that the turtles were turned into more of the pizza-eating and radical variation that many fans grew up with and loved, Eastman reveals that he and Laird still had creative control over how the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were conveyed. "We were lucky, you know. I mentioned Jack Kirby, who was a big hero of Peter and I and the nature of the business that he grew up in, working for Marvel in DC. It was commonplace for the corporation that you worked for owned all the rights to your characters and anything you created was owned by them. So we were well aware, even around the time that Peter and I started, there was a lot of challenges to industry professionals trying to get Kirby more credit for his rights ownership profits from the characters he created. So we knew how lucky we were that we created something we owned fully." Eastman would eventually sell his share of the turtles to Laird, who in turn sold the rights to Viacom. Despite not having creative control any longer, Eastman has remained a creative voice for the franchise, including in the most recent movie, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem." "My position as being kind of the OG, you know, the co-creator, Nickelodeon, who's always been really wonderful, very kind. And they, because they don't have to bring me in on anything, but they always reach out and ask my opinion. Or, you know, like I did a voice as I was a good human and 'Mutant Mayhem,' or I've done voices in the cartoon show I worked on, you know, different aspects of different productions. But with that, it was something that Seth and Jeff and Evan and everybody at Point Grey and that whole team had a very specific vision. And it was one of those that had they invited me, and I would have been happy to join him, but they had a vision that they wanted to tell, and I could not be more happy and more proud." Eastman did not bow out of creating new and exciting stories for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In fact, he became a chief writer when IDW Publishing launched a new turtles comic series in 2011. Inks done by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles writer and co-creator Kevin Eastman. Inks done by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles writer and co-creator Kevin Eastman. IDW The monthly-released comic began in August 2011 and has been running ever since. However, IDW chose to relaunch the series in July 2024, with Jason Aaron taking over as the chief writer. Eastman worked with Tom Waltz while at IDW, and they paired together to revive and work on a story back in the 1980s that was initially developed by Eastman and Laird. The idea was about what the world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would look like if all but one perished. That idea would be transformed into the massive hit, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin." "The Last Ronin" follows the tragic fall of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, save for one, Michaelangelo. Michelangelo is distraught over the loss of his brothers and seeks revenge against Oroku Hiroto, the grandson of the infamous Shredder. Cover art for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin, drawn by Kevin Eastman. Cover art for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin, drawn by Kevin Eastman. IDW "It's an idea that Peter and I wrote way back in 1987, set 30 years in the future. And it was 31 years later that Tom waltz and I, when I dug out the original script and materials that Pete and I developed for that in 1987 and adapted into The Last Ronin. We just felt like this is kind of our love poem to all things, you know, dark night, the edginess, the darkness, and some important things leaning, you know, quite heavily on the original Mirage series in this kind of universe of its own." Eastman referred to the reception as "mind-blowing," which has certainly been the case. "The Last Ronin" led to a prequel called "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin - Lost Years," which follows Michelangelo and his quest for answers after the death of his brothers, and the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II - Re-Evolution," which follows a brand-new set of turtles. Cover art for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II Re-Evolution, drawn by Kevin Eastman. Cover art for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II Re-Evolution, drawn by Kevin Eastman. IDW "The Last Ronin" universe is also expanding into a video game, and Eastman revealed that there will be a third sequel for the comics as well. "We are working on a part three. So we feel like, just funny that when I'm looking at your posters behind you, get the 'Empire Strikes Back.' And so we feel like, you know, 'Last Ronin, the first one is kind of 'A New Hope.' 'Re-Evolution' is 'Empire Strikes Back,' and so three is going to be our best shot at, you know, 'Return of the Jedi' kind of concept. So, we're excited to dig into that this year." Eastman also revealed that the third "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin" series is set to start in 2026. "So 2026, is what we're looking at. And so we're all working. We're kind of rolled off series two, almost right into series three. So we're excited." Since creating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1984, the characters and stories have gone on to inspire and entertain fans for over 40 years. What has surprised Eastman through 40 years of writing and drawing, what was initially a joke? "That there are still stories to tell, sincerely." To listen to the entire, watch the video above. Eastman goes into depth on the history of the turtles and their many iterations, the original comic, how "The Last Ronin" was developed, the sequels, and what creating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has meant to him for 40 years. For more on comics, head to Newsweek Comics.
Geek Tyrant
01-06-2025
- Geek Tyrant
Power Rangers & Ninja Turtles New Crossover — GeekTyrant
The Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles are no strangers to each other and I guess it's time for another crossover. BOOM! Studios and IDW are teaming up with writer Ryan Parrott ( Vicarious ) and illustrator Vincenzo Federici ( Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ) to bring fans Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III . This is the third crossover comic series penned by Parrott and so I'm sure he's got something great cooked up for us fans and while I'm not very familiar with Federici, a look at his Instagram tells me that we've got an incredible creative duo. With Rita and Krang defeated, the bad guys aren't cutting the Rangers and Turtles no slack! Lord Zedd and Shredder have a new plan to take down the radical teen heroes, and if they don't act carefully, they may just succeed. I really liked the first Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series but sadly missed the second series. I'm curious what Zedd and Shredder will get up to. My first instinct is something with the Dark Rangers that were a great idea with just awful execution in season two of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers . Maybe they'll finally get justice? You can read Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1 on August 13 from your local comic shop. There's no word on how many issues to expect, but I think it's safe to assume that it will be like the previous two series and run for five issues. What are your predictions for the third crossover story?
